Articles by: S. Victor Aaron

The Wood Brothers - 'Kingdom In My Mind' (2020)

The Wood Brothers – ‘Kingdom In My Mind’ (2020)

The Wood Brothers always opt for timeless themes and methods, and never more so than on ‘Kingdom In My Mind.’ This record satisfies the soul today and will satisfy the soul just as well many years from now.

Jeff Parker and the New Breed - 'Suite For Max Brown' (2020)

Jeff Parker and the New Breed – ‘Suite For Max Brown’ (2020)

Cobbling together something new from things old is not a Jeff Parker invention. But his unique take on this approach makes ‘Suite For Max Brown’ so much more accessible.

Walter Becker, "Love in the 4th [aka 'Lies I Can Believe']" (1992): Steely Dan Sunday

Walter Becker, “Love in the 4th [aka ‘Lies I Can Believe’]” (1992): Steely Dan Sunday

Here’s a tantalizing suggestion of what Walter Becker’s debut might’ve sounded like if he made ’11 Tracks of Whack’ more like ‘The Nightfly’ instead of ‘Plastic Ono Band.’

Samuele Strufaldi and Tommaso Rosati - '1.15K' (2019)

Samuele Strufaldi and Tommaso Rosati – ‘1.15K’ (2019)

Samuele Strufaldi and Tommaso Rosati’s ‘1.15 K’ is fascinating not just because of the colliding of two musical worlds, but the creativity that went into it.

Gordon Grdina’s Nomad Trio - 'Nomad' (2020)

Gordon Grdina’s Nomad Trio – ‘Nomad’ (2020)

It’s clear how Gordon Grdina?’s Nomad Trio got their name: They wander without a clear map through vast musical terrain few can even attempt, and make it to the other side unscathed.

Kait Dunton, "Summer Solstice" from 'trioKAIT Live at the Blue Whale' (2020): One Track Mind

Kait Dunton, “Summer Solstice” from ‘trioKAIT Live at the Blue Whale’ (2020): One Track Mind

With Kait Dunton’s ‘trioKAIT Live at the Blue Whale,’ the integrity of the compositions and the sheer musical ability holds up just fine on stage, thank you very much.

Radical Empathy Trio - 'Reality and Other Imaginary Places' (2019)

Radical Empathy Trio – ‘Reality and Other Imaginary Places’ (2019)

As the Radical Empathy Trio, Thollem McDonas, Nels Cline and Michael Wimberly brew up two extended 20-minute performances that liberally mix acoustic with electronics.

Vinyl

Keiji Haino, Merzbow + Balazs Pandi – ‘Become the Discovered, Not the Discoverer’ (2019)

‘Become the Discovered, Not the Discoverer’ by Keiji Haino, Merzbow and Balazs Pandi ain’t got no edits, no overdubs, nothing planned in advance. Just pure unadulterated impulsiveness.

Vinyl

Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp, William Parker + Bobby Kapp – ‘Ineffable Joy’ (2019)

With ‘Ineffable Joy,’ Ivo Perelman makes a significant addition to free jazz’s most fabled record company catalog.

Vinyl

Claudio Scolari Project – ‘Upside Down’ (2019)

Using high-level musicianship and a great sense of harmony and rhythm to carry out one instantaneous idea after another is the trademark of Claudio Scolari Project.